Hi, my name is William, and I am a huge fan of Arthur, the TV series and the character himself, although Buster is my most favorite of the characters because for one he's a rabbit and rabbits are my favorite animals. Arthur is my second favorite character and Brain is my third favorite character. A couple other favorite characters are Carl Gold, who has Asperger's just like I do!, and Alex, a character I wish had more speaking roles and a character I'd like to see Arthur and Buster hang out with. I like a lot of other things about Arthur, it is the best anthropomorphic animal cartoon show/series I've ever seen and has just about everything from TV, telephones, movie theaters, cars, to internet, cell phones, dealing with autism, asthma, blindness, cancer, etc.

But there are at least a couple things missing from Arthur that I would really like to see before the series ever ends or gets cancelled. One thing I really would like to see on Arthur is a railroad crossing. And I told WGBH and 9 Story about this but now that I know Oasis Animation is taking over Arthur, I will have to ask you and before it is too late.

I would like to start seeing a railroad crossing on Arthur, but not just any railroad crossing, I would like to see a railroad crossing with flashing red signal lights, ringing bells, and crossing gates. I would prefer the warning devices guarding the crossing(s) featured on Arthur to look and sound like the railroad crossing warning devices used here in the United States and up in Canada I'd like to see the flashing crossing signals on a pole or mast with the white X shaped sign, called the "crossbuck," near the top of the pole. The crossbuck can say RAILROAD CROSSING in black letters as done in the US or even in red letters, or have black markings or red markings, or just simply left blank.

The pole/ signal body should be gray, silver, or black (but any color will do, but gray, silver, or black are preferred).

Below the crossbuck, at least one pair of flashing red lights with black backgrounds and visors as used on traffic signals. The signals should be circle-shaped and side-by-side or separate sides of the pole, like this:

There should be at least a pair of forward-facing lights but a pair of rear-facing lights in addition to the forward-facing lights would be great.

As regards to the crossing gates, I would like them to be red and white striped, mostly because it is my most favorite stripe color and it is modern (black and white stripe or black and yellow stripe is okay too but I really prefer rend and white stripe.) In addition to the red and white striping, what I'd also really like to see on the crossing gates are red circle-shaped lights as seen on real crossing gates like used in the US and in Canada among some other countries. The crossing gates should have a total of three red lights per arm, but the gate arms can have just one light on them as seen in the following images (screenshots from the Simpsons)

Or two gate lights per arm as can be seen in the following two images:

or have four or up to five lights per gate arm, but three lights per gate arm is the preferred amount as seen in this modified screenshot from a Simpsons episode (same crossing as above)

The lights on the gates can just be placed for looks/cosmetic purposes to the gate, or the lights can work along with the flashing signal lights and there are a few methods the gate lights can function:All the lights can flash steadily/solidly and not blinkAll the lights can flash simultaneously(For gates with three lights and this is the most realistic way) the light at the far end of the gate is steady while the other two lights flash alternately along with the signal lights.

Additional Images

(From Turbo Squid)

Just more examples of crossing signals I'd like to see on Arthur (except the cantilever unless you want to go the extra mile to do that) and crossing gates with lights mounted on them.

Most cartoons/ animated shows that include railroad crossings do not normally/generally include gates with lights mounted on them, they leave the lights off the gates, but a few animated shows do, or are starting to include gate arms with lights mounted on them. I was hoping Arthur could be one of those cartoons, plus I really like railroad crossings, especially gated crossings.

If you prefer not to include lighted gates that is all right too but gates with lights on them would be appreciated.

The episode the railroad crossing(s) is/are featured on can beabout a train, whether it's a passenger train ride or a freight train delivering cargo or any materialor about safety around trains, railroad tracks and railroad crossings (and this would be a good thing to feature on Arthur since Arthur is kind of an educational cartoon).or the episode doesn't have to center on trains but just happen to feature a railroad crossing in a scene or so.What I mean by the last bullet point is, say for instance the Reads are driving across town (i.e. Elwood City) to get somewhere and they are seen crossing railroad tracks protected by crossing gates/signals along the way. Or they are stopped at that railroad crossing, the lights flash, the bells ring, and the gates go down and a train, freight or passenger, or both, crosses their path. After the train passes through, the bells shut off, the gates go back up, and the lights go out and the Reads continue on their journey.

Or the Reads can be going somewhere outside Elwood City, like on another family vacation, or have Buster with them. Or they can go on a camping trip or to an amusement park, the ocean, or wherever, or it can just be a car trip. And the Reads happen to be stopped at a railroad crossing then.

Or why just the Read Family? How about the Baxters, Buster and his mother Bitzi, and Arthur can be with them too or it can be just them. Or Grandma Thora can be the driver. Or Mr. Ratburn's class, or whatever class Arthur and his friends are in, go on a field trip somewhere by bus and the destination is on the other side of the tracks than Lakewood Elementary school and require crossing the tracks.

It would also be nice to see Arthur and his family or friends on a train ride or train trip. Carl can also be included in one of these episodes since he likes trains (at least he did in "When Carl Met George."

But it is my dream to see a railroad crossing on Arthur, the series and I'd like to see what a railroad crossing would look like on Arthur. In addition to the illustrations included in this email, I will also provide my own illustrations and will snail-mail them. The illustrations are to help the idea because some cartoons feature silly and unrealistic railroad crossing signals but I'd like the signals in Arthur to be more realistic.

And any bell sound effect for the crossing is welcome, but may I recommend the following bell sounds:

Classic crossing bell sound (commonly used in TV shows and movies, including animated but this is just one example): rxrsignals. net/Michigan/Lansing/Waverly/Waverly.mp3 as seen/ heard on this crossing rxrsignals. net/Michigan/Lansing/Waverly/ The first link will take you directly to the sound, the second link shows the crossing it is at but as an icon at the bottom of the page you can click on to hear the audioOr this more modern crossing bell, this is only one of a few modern crossing bells now used on American railroad crossings today, but this one is my favorite: rxrsignals. net/Arizona/Ash_Fork/40/ (You'll have to scroll down and click on the icon on the left side of the screen to hear it.)Or use both a modern and classic bell at the same time, such as this one: rxrsignals. net/Arizona/Flagstaff/Ponderosa/1999.mp3 (this takes you directly to the audio) heard at this crossing rxrsignals. net/Arizona/Flagstaff/Ponderosa/ The icon to click on the sound is right before the 2001 pictures.Those are just suggested crossing audio sound affects but you may use any crossing sound affect you like.

One more thing before including a railroad crossing on Arthur, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses so can the episode please not be about, or mostly about, things like birthday and holiday celebrations or parties, military, politics, religion, churches (except in the case of weddings and funerals,) superstitions, occultism, good or bad luck, anything Prunella Deagen is into, idols or idolization, yoga, martial arts, boxing, wrestling, etc. I mean if the episode partially features these things, that is okay, but if the episode is centered on or mostly about these things, I wouldn't be comfortable watching the episode. I was however comfortable watching episodes like Buster's Carpool Catastrophe, Tardy Tumbler, Thanks A Lot Binky, and DW Bossy Boots.

So can you please include a railroad crossing or two in an episode or two of Arthur before the show terminates? I would greatly appreciate that.

The other thing I'd like to see on Arthur is another fire drill featured, this one taking place in Lakewood Elementary. The episode doesn't have to be about fires or a fire drill or fire safety like with DW All Fired Up and April 9th, but can be about anything (Like giving an oral report, singing, or art, etc,) and the fire alarm goes off, using the same fire alarm sound as heard in DW All Fired Up and April 9th.

However, there's something I'd like to see featured with this fire alarm situation that wasn't featured in DW All Fired Up or April 9th, I'd like to see strobe lights included with the fire alarms, but this needs to be done very carefully. I don't expect the entire screen to flash and I don't want the audience/viewers to get seizures or other visual problems. If the screen is lit up, should just be up to and no more than two or three times. But the strobe lighting I had in mind is basically how camera flashes are done in animated cartoon shows, not the whole entire screen flashing, just parts of the screen, and the small areas immediately around the fire alarms, or strobe light objects flashing. All the strobe lights should flash in unison with each other and flash twice or three times before the scene changes. The strobe lights should ONLY be in the hallway, but can be in the classroom too.

Some Arthur episodes, I believe, have featured camera flash effects, like from the audience. See also Bubble Guppies (Nick Jr.,) namely these two episodes "We Totally Rock," and "The Glitter Games."

Or if not strobe lights other types of flashing lights can be used, like slower flashing lights (like used on railroad crossing signals or flashing traffic signals or beacons or other methods), or even rotating lights as used on emergency vehicles. I prefer the lights were white as done in reality but the lights can also be red.

I ask this because most cartoons that include fire alarm sounds don't come with flashing lights, strobe lights, or other methods, which is kind of boring to me, and this is what I'd like to see in animation if possible. Strobe lights and other flashing lights make fire alarms more exciting to me and add to the drama of the situation.

Some cartoons used flashing red lights with alarms, one example is Fairly Odd Parents (Nickelodeon) (see the episodes "Parent Hoods," "Wishing Well," "Cosmo Rules," and "The End of a University" for examples.) Another cartoon that used a flashing alarm was Blaze and the Monster Machines (Nick Jr.) and the episode was "Fired Up."

Like I said, the strobe lights have to be done very carefully if they are included so as not to harm the viewers or cause seizures, there should be two or three flashes, they will have to flash simultaneously, and only light up the area immediately around the fire alarms. I should add there should be one flash per second or every two seconds.

But if strobe lights or any flashing lights cannot be used with fire alarms, or is desired against, (no desire to use strobe lights), that is okay. The same with the railroad crossings but these were just a couple of things I'd like to see in future Arthur episodes and before Arthur ends as a series.

If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to write me back via snail mail or email me at (emails OMITTED for privacy)

I will also leave my phone number (OMMITED for privacy) but I prefer to be emailed or snail-mailed). If you call me, please only call on Saturdays or Sundays. If you call and do not reach me, please leave a message, your name, a specific number, and please let me know that you are with Oasis Animations and I might return the call. Otherwise I prefer email or snail mail.

You will also receive a snail-mailed version of this email (but hand-written and with less detail. It will be 6 pages but three sheets of paper taped together and a 4th piece of paper with illustrations included (see next paragraph for more info.)

Thank you for your time and for reading my letter/email. I will also include illustrations for the railroad crossing I'd like to see on Arthur and leave details for visual aids. I will also attach some artwork files of pictures of crossing signals or of Arthur characters at a railroad crossing. In fact, I'll show you just one more embedded photo of such:

Regards,

William (Middle and Last Name Omitted for privacy)A 30 Year Old Autistic Arthur Fan"

I guess you can say I went through a lot of trouble to do this, but it was worth it. Kind of.

I do know and understand that it is not guaranteed that just because I wrote this letter and even included illustraions my idea is going to go through or be used but this is something I'd really like to see happen on Arthur and nobody can read my mind (nor do I want anyone to) so in order to increase the chances of this happening, I wrote and sent this letter by email and by snail mail.

And I did get a reply and this is it:

"Hi William

Thank you very much for your e-mail and for your interest in the Arthur Series!

We will send your request to WGBH, who are the Producers of the Series, and they will see if they can include your request.

Very best,

Diane"

And perhaps you learned something in my letter and in this post. (I was told by some people that they learned some things from what I said and wrote about railroad crossings, or I assume they learned more about railroad crossings from me, and possibly learned other things about other things from me too.)

That's great. Now hopefully some more people will be interested or will like the idea. And if this ever takes place, and hopefully we'll be alive to see it, I and lots of other people will/could be happy!

WillArthurBusterandCarl50 wrote:That's great. Now hopefully some more people will be interested or will like the idea. And if this ever takes place, and hopefully we'll be alive to see it, I and lots of other people will/could be happy!

Yeah! There are several Arthur fans who are into trains, cars, planes, etc. just like Carl!

I read this, and I'm wondering, will this work?I mean, I hope it does, but to be honest, a company even considering the request of a fan is 3,720 to 1(Star Wars joke).That said, I hope things work out. And if they do, I have my own request to make *slinks into the shadows with tented fingers*Y'know, that should be a thread, "What would you like to see in Arthur?" we could post ideas for teasers, episodes, and more.

At any rate, they should see your hard work for this. But now, we wait.

TheUltimateCombo wrote:I read this, and I'm wondering, will this work?I mean, I hope it does, but to be honest, a company even considering the request of a fan is 3,720 to 1(Star Wars joke).That said, I hope things work out. And if they do, I have my own request to make *slinks into the shadows with tented fingers*Y'know, that should be a thread, "What would you like to see in Arthur?" we could post ideas for teasers, episodes, and more.

At any rate, they should see your hard work for this. But now, we wait.

TheUltimateCombo wrote:I read this, and I'm wondering, will this work?I mean, I hope it does, but to be honest, a company even considering the request of a fan is 3,720 to 1(Star Wars joke).That said, I hope things work out. And if they do, I have my own request to make *slinks into the shadows with tented fingers*Y'know, that should be a thread, "What would you like to see in Arthur?" we could post ideas for teasers, episodes, and more.

At any rate, they should see your hard work for this. But now, we wait.